A typical prior art method for leveling a pallet load places a plurality of containers on a first pallet in a predetermined configuration and thereafter stacks a second pallet on top of the containers. Each container must be identical in height so that the second pallet can be stacked upon a level, horizontal plane which is defined by the containers. A container is placed at each corner of the pallet, and if the pallet is large, a container is additionally placed in the center of the pallet.
While this prior art method effectively levels a pallet load, a disadvantage occurs in that each container must be identical in height. However, in practice, in order to minimize storage space for goods in a warehouse, the goods are placed into containers of unequal heights and sizes. Under this prior art method, in order to ship the goods, the goods must be placed into containers of equal height. Thus, container space is often wasted since the goods do not completely fill the containers. Furthermore, often times a shipment of goods will not fill up all of the containers that are required to level the pallet under this method. Therefore, extra containers and container space are wasted.
The present invention is intended to overcome or minimize all of these problems, as well as to present several other improvements.